Fatty alcohols and fatty acids from both triglycerides and wax esters of a mixed plankton sample consisting mostly of the copepods Centropages typicus, with some Calanus finmarchicus, and a few other organisms, were compared. The alcohols were probably derived from both calanoids and emphasized alc 20:1 (19.2%) and alc 22:1 (44.9%) despite the virtual absence of the corresponding monoethylenic fatty acids. The isomer composition for monoethylenic alcohols parallels that observed for acids in clupeid depot fats and it is suggested that this particular wax ester composition is a result of low density lipids, especially alc 22:1, being deposited during heavy feeding to offset the mass from codeposition of protein and carbohydrate.